This weekend, the one and only Jefferson Starship will be taking off at the Englert Theatre! This legendary band has stood the test of time and continues to tour today, but how is it possible they’re still here after 50 years?
Assembling The Band
To know Starship’s history, we have to go back to 1970. Paul Kantner, a leading creative force behind the band, was on break from touring. He assembled Grace Slick, Joey Covington, and Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane; David Crosby and Graham Nash; and Grateful Dead members Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann for his new album: Blows Against the Empire. It would be credited to Paul Kantner and Jefferson Starship!
Kantner began to assemble his crew. Slick was already on board. David Freiberg was a founding member of Quicksilver Messenger Service, a popular band during its time, and had played with Kantner during the early sixties. Freiberg supplied him with planetary musicianship throughout his solo career from 1970-74, enough to earn him a spot on the real starship.
Craig Chaquico was a high school english student playing in his teacher’s band Steelwind. The teacher introduced Chaquico to his friend Paul Kantner, who found his guitar playing so out-of-this-world during their collaborations that he earned his position as lead guitar.
Grace Slick was in studio working on her first solo album, and so was Pete Sears, a bassist co-producing an album with a different artist, yet he had no trouble assisting Slick in her project. He had previously played on Papa John Creach’s first solo album, an electric violinist who played with many blues legends. Discussions with both Sears and Creach quickly flew into orbit as they joined the starship.
Last but not least is John Barbata, a drummer who previously worked with The Turtles and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It was during a break in 1972 for CSNY that David Crosby introduced Barbata to the members of Jefferson Airplane. He played drums for their last two albums before the official breakup in 1974, when Kantner approached Barbata with an idea for their next stage: Jefferson Starship.
Golden Years & Hit Songs
So the starship took flight on a mission to spread love with Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, David Freiberg, Craig Chaquico, John Barbata, Pete Sears, and Papa John Creach. After their first album Dragon Fly, previous Jefferson Airplane singer Marty Balin got onboard and helped write one of the band’s most successful albums in 1975, Red Octopus. Hits from this album include “Miracles” and “Play on Love.” Next was Spitfire in 1976, with great tracks such as “With Your Love” and “St. Charles.” Their final album with this lineup produced Earth in 1978, including the awesome songs “Count on Me,” “Runaway,” and “Crazy Feelin’.”
The starship began to run out of fuel in late 1978 after the firing of Grace Slick for her alcoholism. Marty Balin quit just a few months after, and John Barbata was seriously injured in a car accident that forced his resignation. The other members were not deterred. Former drummer for Journey Aynsley Dunbar was brought on board, along with vocalist Mickey Thomas and producer Ron Nevison. With this refuel, the starship flew on.
Their next album Freedom At Point Zero found immense success with the song “Jane” in 1979. Grace Slick returned to grace in 1981 during the recording of Modern Times, in which she sang “Stranger.” Other hits include “Find Your Way Back” and “Stairway to Cleveland,” which hilariously criticized its fans for disliking their change in style over the years. Next was Winds of Change in 1982, with great tracks “Be My Lady” and “Winds of Change.” Aynsley Dunbar was phased out for Donny Baldwin, and their final album was completed in 1984, Nuclear Furniture. Hits from this album include “No Way Out” and “Layin’ It On the Line.”
Kantner became bored with the band’s direction and left it in the remaining member’s hands, but not without enacting a lawsuit to prevent them from using the name “Jefferson Starship.” Kantner left with a cash settlement, and ownership of the name was split between Grace Slick and manager Bill Thompson. However, the core of Jefferson Starship was still there in Slick, Thomas, Chaquico, Sears, and Baldwin (Freiberg got mad and left because he got replaced on piano), so they renamed themselves “Starship” and turned on the thrusters to max power.
Starship went on to produce two albums with these core members, the first arriving in 1985 as Knee Deep in the Hoopla. This album spawned not one, but two number one hits in “We Built This City” and “Sara,” as well as “Tomorrow Doesn’t Matter Tonight.” Their other album in 1987, No Protection, had ANOTHER number one hit with “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” and other bangers Not Over (‘Til It’s Over),” and “Beat Patrol.” Unfortunately, most of the core members left after this album between 1987-89. That was until Paul Kantner came back to re-establish Jefferson Starship in 1992.
Jefferson Starship onstage at Marriott’s Great America (now known as California’s Great America), June 23, 1984, not long before their breakup into Starship. (Left to right: Grace Slick, Mickey Thomas, Pete Sears, Paul Kantner, Craig Chaquico, Donny Baldwin, and David Freiberg.)
Current Day
Over time, Jefferson Starship re-recruited old members and got some new ones. They continued to tour with a new lineup and work on projects from that point forward until Kantner’s death in 2016. In an act of goodwill, Slick and Kantner’s family approved of letting the current members of the band perform as Jefferson Starship for their entire lifetimes.
Today, Jefferson Starship tours with David Freiberg (vocals & guitar), Donny Baldwin (drums), Chris Smith (keyboards), Jude Gold (lead guitar), and Cathy Richardson (vocals, guitar). Their latest album, Mother Of The Sun, includes an awesome rendition of “Embryonic Journey” that I recommend everyone go check out. Jefferson Starship has roots all the way back to the early sixties, and though the style, songs, and members have all changed, the soul still remains.
The show begins at 7:30 this Sunday the 21st, and student tickets are $31.25. I hope to see you there! (I’m especially excited to see Freiberg on stage, still playing at 87 years old!)
Poster for Jefferson Starship’s current 50th anniversary tour.